Apple working on Watch X smartwatch with upgraded display, blood pressure monitor

Apple is working on a new smartwatch, dubbed Watch X, to commemorate ten years of its first Apple Watch under the leadership of Tim Cook. According to Apple analyst and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the Apple Watch X might be released in 2024 or 2025, as the Apple smartwatch category was unveiled in 2014 and released the following year. The Apple Watch X may feature a new design to accommodate a bigger battery. Gurman adds that Apple might also add a microLED display for a more vivid viewing experience. The smartwatch may also include blood pressure monitoring.

Gurman, in his latest Power On newsletter, adds that Apple is also planning to change the strap design. The new straps may magnetically stick to the chassis to free up more space internally. The new strap may debut with Apple Watch X or Apple Watch 9 this year.

Speaking about the Apple Watch 9, Gurman does not expect bigger changes. He says Apple may retain the two sizes — 41 and 45 millimetres (or 49 millimetres for the Ultra). The different sizes may further have options, including LTE or Wi-Fi variants. The most noticeable differences will be faster processors and fresh colours. The newsletter suggests that there are going to be incremental upgrades, which may or may not attract new customers. Gurman suggests, “In terms of new features, it’s arguably the most minor upgrade in the product’s history.”

The new Watch Series 9 may debut on September 12, alongside iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro smartphones.

Beyond Apple smartwatches, the newsletter also provides fresh details about the upcoming Macs with the new-gen M3 series SoC. Apple may launch new tablets or laptops at the end of the year. These could come with the vanilla M3 SoC.

The base M3 SoC with eight CPU and ten GPUU cores may power the base MacBook Pro, 13-inch MacBook Air, 15-inch MacBook Air, and Mac mini, iMac. It may also power the next iPad Pro.

The Apple M3 Pro silicone chip with up to 14CPU and 20 GPU cores will likely power a 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. The M3 Max with up to 16 CPU and 40 GPU cores may power 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac Studio. Moreover, Apple is also working on an M3 Ultra SoC with up to 32 CPU and 80 GPU cores for Mac Studio and Mac Pro.